Sustainability of Puerulus Fisheries Supporting Spiny Lobster Aquaculture in Southeast Asia

Spiny lobster aquaculture in Southeast Asia represents one of the most economically valuable and socially important forms of small-scale coastal aquaculture globally. Unlike most aquaculture sectors, production in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines has developed almost entirely on the basis of wild-caught pueruli (postlarval lobsters) rather than hatchery-produced seed. This reliance on wild seed has generated persistent debate regarding biological sustainability, environmental risk, and compatibility with responsible aquaculture principles. Here, we synthesise more than two decades of regional production data, fisheries observations, larval biology research, population genetics, and oceanographic modelling to evaluate the sustainability of puerulus fishing in Southeast Asia. Evidence indicates that many major settlement areas function as recruitment sinks, characterised by extremely high natural mortality and weak coupling between local settlement and local adult spawning biomass. Under these conditions, harvesting pueruli prior to inevitable natural mortality is unlikely to reduce adult lobster stocks when spatially targeted and appropriately regulated. We further demonstrate that puerulus fisheries exhibit exceptionally low environmental impact while underpinning substantial livelihood benefits for coastal communities. We conclude that wild seed fisheries, when embedded within effective governance frameworks, represent a legitimate and sustainable foundation for crustacean aquaculture during the transition toward commercial hatchery technologies.